How to Configure and Use Databases on AWS

AWS provides a wide range of database services to manage, store, and analyze your data. Two of the most popular databases you can use within the AWS free tier are Amazon DynamoDB and Amazon Aurora. This guide will walk you through configuring and using both databases, explaining everything in simple terms, and showing how you can use them within the free tier limits.

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Step 1: Open the AWS website at https://aws.amazon.com.
Step 2: Log in with your AWS credentials. If you don’t have an account, you can create a free one.
Step 3: After logging in, you will be directed to the AWS Management Console, where you can access all AWS services.

2. Navigate to the Database Services

Step 1: In the AWS Management Console, search for DynamoDB or Aurora in the search bar at the top.
Step 2: Click on DynamoDB or RDS (for Aurora) under the Database section to start configuring your database.

Configuring and Using Amazon DynamoDB

What is DynamoDB?

DynamoDB is a fully managed NoSQL database service provided by AWS. It’s designed for applications that need consistent, low-latency access to data, such as mobile apps, web apps, and gaming applications. DynamoDB stores data in key-value pairs and is highly scalable, which means you can store large amounts of data and scale it easily.

DynamoDB is particularly useful for applications that require fast and predictable performance at any scale, and it works seamlessly with other AWS services.

Step 1: Create a DynamoDB Table

Go to the DynamoDB Console:
- In the AWS Management Console, search for DynamoDB and select it from the list.
Create a New Table:
- Click on “Create table” in the DynamoDB dashboard.
Configure Table Details:
- Table Name: Give your table a name (e.g., MyTable).
- Primary Key: Choose a primary key for your table. The primary key can either be:
  - Partition Key (simple key), or
  - Partition Key + Sort Key (composite key).
  - For example, if you are storing user data, you might use UserID as the Partition Key and Timestamp as the Sort Key.
Set Provisioned or On-demand Capacity Mode:
- On-demand: Best for beginners, as it automatically scales based on usage. You don’t need to worry about setting the read and write capacity.
- Provisioned: Allows you to set the read and write capacity manually, which can be useful for predictable workloads.
Create Table:
- After entering the details, click “Create”. DynamoDB will create your table within seconds.

Step 2: Add Data to DynamoDB

You can add data manually or through your application using the AWS SDKs.

Manual Data Entry:
- Go to the “Items” tab of your table.
- Click “Create item” to add a new record.
- Add attributes to the item. For example:
  - UserID: 22610032
  - Name: Aditya Godse
  - Email: adimail2404@gmail.com

Using SDK:

To add items using the AWS SDK, you can write code in Python, JavaScript, or other supported languages. Here’s an example using Python and boto3:

import boto3

dynamodb = boto3.resource('dynamodb')
table = dynamodb.Table('MyTable')
table.put_item(
    Item={
        'UserID': '22610032',
        'Name': 'Aditya Godse',
        'Email': 'adimail2404@gmail.com'
    }
)

Step 3: Retrieve Data from DynamoDB

Get Item:
- In the “Items” tab, click on the “Get item” button.
- Enter the primary key (e.g., UserID = 22610032) to retrieve the record.

Using SDK:

Here’s how you can fetch a record using Python:

response = table.get_item(
    Key={
        'UserID': '22610032'
    }
)
print(response['Item'])

Step 4: Delete Data from DynamoDB

Delete Item Manually:
- In the “Items” tab, select the item you want to delete and click “Delete”.

Using SDK:

Here’s how you can delete an item using Python:

table.delete_item(
    Key={
        'UserID': '22610032'
    }
)

Free Tier Usage for DynamoDB

Free Tier Limits: DynamoDB offers 25 GB of storage and up to 25 read and 25 write capacity units per month for free. This is sufficient for small-scale applications, and you can use it without worrying about extra costs if your usage is low.

Configuring and Using Amazon Aurora (with MySQL/PostgreSQL)

What is Amazon Aurora?

Amazon Aurora is a fully managed relational database service compatible with MySQL and PostgreSQL. It offers the performance and availability of high-end commercial databases, but at a lower cost. Aurora is highly scalable, reliable, and designed for demanding applications that need to process large amounts of transactional data.

Step 1: Create an Aurora DB Cluster

Go to the RDS Console:
- In the AWS Management Console, search for RDS (Relational Database Service) and select it from the list.
Create a Database:
- Click “Create database” in the RDS dashboard.
- Select Amazon Aurora as the database engine.
Choose Database Edition:
- MySQL-Compatible Edition or PostgreSQL-Compatible Edition. Choose the one based on your application needs.
Configure DB Cluster:
- DB Cluster Identifier: Give your Aurora DB cluster a name (e.g., my-aurora-cluster).
- Master Username: Choose the username for your database administrator account.
- Master Password: Set a password for the administrator account.
- Instance Type: Choose the db.t3.small instance for the free trial, which offers 20 GB of storage and 750 hours of usage per month.
Free Tier Usage:
- Aurora comes with 750 hours of free usage for db.t3.small instances and 20 GB of storage per month for the first 12 months under the AWS free tier.
Launch DB Cluster:
- Click “Create database” to launch your Aurora DB cluster.

Step 2: Connect to Aurora Database

Get Database Endpoint:
- After the DB cluster is created, go to the “Connectivity & security” tab.
- Copy the endpoint (hostname) of the Aurora database.
Connect to the Database:
- Use MySQL Workbench (for MySQL) or any other database client to connect to your Aurora instance. Here’s an example of how to connect using MySQL command line:
```
mysql -h <endpoint> -u <master_user> -p
```

Step 3: Use Aurora Database

Create a Database:
- Once connected, create a database:
```
CREATE DATABASE mydatabase;
```

Create Tables:

Create a table to store data:

CREATE TABLE users (
    UserID INT PRIMARY KEY,
    Name VARCHAR(100),
    Email VARCHAR(100)
);

Insert Data:

Insert some data into the table:

INSERT INTO users (UserID, Name, Email) VALUES (1, 'Aditya Godse', 'adimail2404@gmail.com');

Query Data:
- Retrieve data from the table:
```
SELECT * FROM users;
```

Step 4: Delete Data from Aurora

Delete Table:
- Drop the table to remove all its data:
```
DROP TABLE users;
```
Delete DB Cluster:
- If you no longer need the database, you can delete the entire DB cluster from the RDS console to stop any ongoing charges.

Free Tier Usage for Aurora

Free Tier Limits: Amazon Aurora offers 750 hours per month of db.t3.small instances for MySQL or PostgreSQL, along with 20 GB of storage, for the first 12 months under the free tier.

Conclusion

Both Amazon DynamoDB and Amazon Aurora offer powerful, fully managed database solutions that are easy to configure and use within the AWS free tier. DynamoDB is perfect for NoSQL workloads, while Aurora is ideal for relational database applications requiring high availability and performance. By following this guide, you can start using these databases effectively without exceeding the free tier limits.

How to Configure and Use Databases on AWS

1. Sign In to AWS

2. Navigate to the Database Services

Configuring and Using Amazon DynamoDB

What is DynamoDB?

Step 1: Create a DynamoDB Table

Step 2: Add Data to DynamoDB

Step 3: Retrieve Data from DynamoDB

Step 4: Delete Data from DynamoDB

Free Tier Usage for DynamoDB

Configuring and Using Amazon Aurora (with MySQL/PostgreSQL)

What is Amazon Aurora?

Step 1: Create an Aurora DB Cluster

Step 2: Connect to Aurora Database

Step 3: Use Aurora Database

Step 4: Delete Data from Aurora

Free Tier Usage for Aurora

Conclusion